After communicating with officials at the Arkansas State and Little Rock Athletics Departments, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson has issued the following statement regarding Arkansas House Bill 1249 and Act 562:
“During the last week I have followed closely the news articles regarding Arkansas House Bill 1249, and now also a potential amendment to what is now Act 562. Given that both the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University are members of the Sun Belt Conference - and as my colleague Greg Sankey of the Southeastern Conference has stated - I too support the Arkansas State Senate’s exemption in Senate Bill 724 that would prevent firearms from being allowed inside publicly funded stadiums and arenas in the State of Arkansas.